Attalla city, school leaders discuss technology, athletics

Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 6:24 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 6:25 p.m.

Career technical education, technology and athletics were top topics Tuesday at a joint work session between the Attalla City Council and the Attalla City Board of Education.

Council members all but approved appropriating $22,500 to the school board to purchase computers for labs at both Attalla Elementary and Etowah Middle, where Superintendent David Bowman said they are an immediate need.

The funds, which Mayor Larry Means asked to possibly be split into two payments, would purchase 25 computers for each of the two schools.

Means said the city still is working on its budget, but he wants to put some money in a fund to help keep classroom teachers and parents from paying out-of-pocket for paper towels and toilet paper in the schools. In talks on career tech education, District 3 Councilman Terry McClain said federal dollars will be available in education for soldiers who have no jobs and no skills, and he would like to see Etowah High get funding for some skilled trades.

Board member Preston Nix noted that 85 percent of the Attalla system’s students will not attend college, and that the system must offer career tech education.

Attalla City Schools has a contract with the Etowah County Board of Education, Bowman said, under which it pays a $75,000 fee to send students to the Etowah County Career Technical Center. He said the county schools also have some students who attend health occupations and cosmetology classes at Etowah High.

Bowman said the school does not have classes in auto mechanics, brick laying or plumbing.

Nix said the amount paid to Etowah County Schools could fund two teachers for career tech.

“We’ve got to put something together to attract people to Attalla,” he said of building a career tech facility. “That’s where we should put some money.”

Means said he also would like to put some funds in sports, telling a story of hearing a parent say how much money it cost to participate in baseball.

He said he’d like to see all kids have these opportunities, because athletics teach character and morals.

Bowman discussed Etowah High’s football station, which he said is in bad shape even though board seven or eight years ago spent $150,000 on structural improvements.

He said a long-term goal would be to build a new stadium in the Camp Sibert area, near the high school, and let the Attalla youth use the older stadium.

The group also discussed plans to possibly demolish portions of the old Stowers Hill Intermediate School building, which has been vacant since 2010, when the system consolidated it with Curtiston Primary School to create Attalla Elementary.

“The only part we need to ‘demo’ is the main office, hall and lunchroom,” Bowman said.

Means said he would like to get estimates on the demolition.

District 4 Councilwoman Virginia Smith as long as the school sits empty, it will perish like the Fourth Street School.

<p>Career technical education, technology and athletics were top topics Tuesday at a joint work session between the Attalla City Council and the Attalla City Board of Education. </p><p>Council members all but approved appropriating $22,500 to the school board to purchase computers for labs at both Attalla Elementary and Etowah Middle, where Superintendent David Bowman said they are an immediate need.</p><p>The funds, which Mayor Larry Means asked to possibly be split into two payments, would purchase 25 computers for each of the two schools.</p><p>Means said the city still is working on its budget, but he wants to put some money in a fund to help keep classroom teachers and parents from paying out-of-pocket for paper towels and toilet paper in the schools. In talks on career tech education, District 3 Councilman Terry McClain said federal dollars will be available in education for soldiers who have no jobs and no skills, and he would like to see Etowah High get funding for some skilled trades.</p><p>Board member Preston Nix noted that 85 percent of the Attalla system's students will not attend college, and that the system must offer career tech education. </p><p>Attalla City Schools has a contract with the Etowah County Board of Education, Bowman said, under which it pays a $75,000 fee to send students to the Etowah County Career Technical Center. He said the county schools also have some students who attend health occupations and cosmetology classes at Etowah High. </p><p>Bowman said the school does not have classes in auto mechanics, brick laying or plumbing. </p><p>Nix said the amount paid to Etowah County Schools could fund two teachers for career tech.</p><p>“We've got to put something together to attract people to Attalla,” he said of building a career tech facility. “That's where we should put some money.”</p><p>Means said he also would like to put some funds in sports, telling a story of hearing a parent say how much money it cost to participate in baseball.</p><p>He said he'd like to see all kids have these opportunities, because athletics teach character and morals. </p><p>Bowman discussed Etowah High's football station, which he said is in bad shape even though board seven or eight years ago spent $150,000 on structural improvements. </p><p>He said a long-term goal would be to build a new stadium in the Camp Sibert area, near the high school, and let the Attalla youth use the older stadium. </p><p>The group also discussed plans to possibly demolish portions of the old Stowers Hill Intermediate School building, which has been vacant since 2010, when the system consolidated it with Curtiston Primary School to create Attalla Elementary. </p><p>“The only part we need to 'demo' is the main office, hall and lunchroom,” Bowman said. </p><p>Means said he would like to get estimates on the demolition.</p><p>District 4 Councilwoman Virginia Smith as long as the school sits empty, it will perish like the Fourth Street School. </p><p>“We can't have that happen,” she said.</p>